Recipes

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

This is everything we want from a curry: bright (from the turmeric), hot and aromatic (from the peppercorns), substantial (from the prawns) and fresh (from the asparagus). The recipe uses a traditional method of cooking Thai curries called ‘cracking’. This is where the spice paste is simmered in coconut cream for so long that it splits and the oil separates out. This then creates a rich base for a deeply flavoured curry. Swap the prawns for chicken or tofu, or make a vegetarian version with your favourite vegetables, omitting the fish sauce.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

Use any combination of green beans, in addition to or instead of french beans, to prepare this side dish which goes well with just about everything.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

Green beans are so popular at Ottolenghi that we seem to be constantly on the lookout for new combinations. Orange and hazelnut go wonderfully well together. They offer a good balance of freshness and earthiness and the flavours are subtle enough to complement the beans without overpowering them. The beans can be cooked and chilled a day in advance and then dressed before serving. Sugar snaps, green peas and broad beans can substitute any of the other two beans or be added to the salad.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

Today, freekeh is produced and sold commercially, whole or cracked, we use it for making pilaffs, in salads and for serving with lamb or chicken. It's earthy flavour and slightly coarse texture go particularly well with sweet spices.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Sweet

This one's inspired by one of Belinda Jeffery’s cake. We’ve played around with the shape – baking it in a loaf tin – and added a chocolate ganache, but the base is all Belinda’s. There’s something about a cake showcasing its flourless-ness or gluten-free nature which can often make it sound a little bit worthy. Unfairly so, in a case like this, where the feeling of eating it is the very opposite of ‘free-from’: it’s utterly buttery and decadent.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

The quality of the ingredients is paramount here: the figs need to be ripe, sweet and heavy, the honey needs to be best-quality and the cheese needs to be as fresh and young as possible. Some chunks of salty well-cured ham also work very well against the sweet figs. For those not inclined to choosing between one thing and another, the combination of figs, cheese and ham is also rather good!

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

Serve this on its own, with a cup of tea, but do also make a fully-fledged dessert dish with the figgy accompaniment - it doesn't take much extra effort.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

The honeyed flavour of figs is a perfect pair with goat's cheese. To make things a little quicker, the yeasted pastry can be replaced with commercial all-butter puff pastry sheet of similar dimensions.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

Keep an eye out for the Insta-worthy cheese pull on these Venezuelan corn pancakes that are often sold at roadside food stands. They’re usually made with fresh corn, but I’ve used frozen corn for ease; if you’d prefer to use fresh, just stand the husk up on a board and shave off the kernels with a big, sharp knife; don’t use tinned sweetcorn here, though, because it’s far too wet. If you like, make the pancakes and the cheese mixture up to 24 hours ahead, ready for stuffing the following day.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

This dish works very well both as a side dish for your festive meal or as a snacking platter with a warm pitta. Get ahead by making the hummus the day before. Just bring it to room temperature before serving.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

What makes this extra special is the double hit of aniseed - fennel and ouzo playing off each other. The capers cut through with bursts of acidity, and the butter does what butter does best. Everything gets soaked up by torn bread that crisps around the edges while staying soft where it counts. Simit is ideal if you can find it, but any good bread will do the job.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

Try to get small cucumbers for this as for any other fresh salad. They are worlds apart from the large ones we normally get in most UK supermarkets. You could skip the fermentation stage and use buttermilk instead of the combination of milk and yoghurt.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

This ancient variety of wheat, when accompanied by shamelessly bold flavours, has a unique nuttiness and a great texture. It deserves its healthy credentials, too, because some people who are intolerant to wheat can eat farro. Farro is sold whole, semi-pearled, pearled, which determines the time it will take to cook (anywhere between 15 minutes and an hour). When done, it should be tender but retain a real bite. If you can't get farro, use pearl barley and you'll still end up with a highly satisfying result. Thanks to Claudine Boulstridge.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

Falafel and hummus are the ultimate daily grub in Jerusalem. As a little boy, Sami used to be sent out to the shops every morning to buy breakfast for his older brothers: hummus and freshly fried falafel balls. He’d take an empty plate to Abu Shukri, a famous hummus spot in the old city, and the man himself would spread the warm paste over the plate and, with much attention, garnish it with herbs, spices and pickled cucumber. The warm falafel and fresh pitas were carried alongside in a brown paper bag. Sami would charge his brothers ‘a little something’ for the task, which he always spent in the sweet shop.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

This Turkish staple is often served along-side meats, but it's a delicious dip on its own and so simple to make. You can pulse in a food processor but we think using a knife to chop gives a bit more control (plus, it's also incredibly satisfying)!

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

Crispy chicken is found in multiple corners of the world and is served on multiple tables: from Austrian schnitzel to Korean fried chicken to the Westernised version of ‘lemon chicken’ that you’d get at your local Chinese restaurant. The latter is the inspiration for this dish, in which a sweet lemony sauce coats crispy fried chicken pieces. This version uses a cheat’s preserved lemon paste and plenty of fresh lemon to brighten it all up. Serve this with our tenderstem broccoli with peanut gochujang dressing.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

When else could you even remotely justify stuffing olives, then coating them in breadcrumbs and frying? Probably the worst ratio of work per bite in the food world. Still, at the weekend, it's time to sit in a group, do silly fiddly work and end up with a great nibble. The feta can be substituted with a soft goat's cheese.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

No apologies, this is totally over the top. Just close your eyes and savour the sumptuous richness.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

Across parts of Asia, ‘pitha’ refers to a dough. In Mauritius, where this recipe originates (thanks, Chaya!), the ‘h’ is dropped to make it ‘pita’. Traditionally, the dough for the noodles is freshly made while the dal is cooking. For ease, we use dried lasagne sheets, which work really well as a substitute.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

For all-out-finger-licking-no-one-is-looking-eat-with-your-hands food, not much beats fried chicken. This is my colleague Chaya’s go-to. The slaw can also be made with cabbage or carrots instead of the celeriac, if you prefer (or buy some ready-made).

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

This is what Coronation chicken would taste like if you replaced the chicken with cauliflower and hard-boiled egg. An introduction which possibly makes no sense until you eat it for yourself. If you are missing the chicken side of the equation, then you could do worse than serve this with said bird, roasted on the weekend.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

Cauliflower cheese, but make it pie. This dish was once described as ‘molten-hot-cheese-lava’ and we think that’s pretty fitting for the ultimate comfort of comfort foods.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk

You’ll be surprised how much flavour you can get from carrots when you give them the chilli heat and sweet spice treatment. To make this mash dairy-free, use olive oil instead of butter; if you do, heat the oil with the ginger and seeds for only a couple of minutes, until fragrant.

Yotam Ottolenghi · Ottolenghi.co.uk